Feeding device for manufacturing and wrapping of sweetmeats and the like



Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,803

FEEDING DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING AND WRAPPING K. F. KRONQVIST OFSWEETMEATS AND THE LIKE Filed April 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Shea; 1

[1i Denial Kalil 7Z Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,803

K. F. KRONQVIST FEEDING DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING AND WRAPPING OFSWEETMEATS AND HE LIKE Filed April 10, 1925 2 Sheets-5heet 2 PatentedDec. 25, 1928 I UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

KARL FRITTIOF KBONQVIST, 0F HELSINKI, SUOMLFINLAND.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING AND WRAPPING OF SWEETMEATS AND THELIKE. v

Application filed April 10, 1925, Serial No. 22,140, and inSuomi-Finland February 10, 1925.

This invention relates to a device, which automatically separates smallobjects as for instance sweetmeats etc. from a pile and transports themto a predetermined place, (for example a wrapping machine or to befurther treated or stocked) putting them at the same time in orderandbringing them to the required place either one at a time or in acontinuous stream or procession. The principal advantage of the machineof this invention resides in its ability to feed the objects evenly andgently without damaging even very delicate articles such as some sortsof sweetmeats,

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment ofthe invention:

Fig. 1 shows a section 011 line AB of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows the machine in side View.

Fig. 3 shows a part of the machine in plan view.

Fig. 4 is a section on line CD of Fig. 2.

1 is a. hopper, in which the sweetmeats are mixed with each other atrandom. The slide-plates 2 lift them up in good order and deliver themonto a steel band 5, which runs over the pulleys 3 and 4. The upper edgeof each of the slide-plates is inclined away from the hopper so as toeffect an automatic movement of the sweetmeats, by their own weight,over the top of the plate from edge to edge when the slide-plates moveup and downpassing each other snugly. The slideplates get their motionfrom eccentrics 7 on the driving shaft 6, these eccentrics being soarranged, that one plate goes up when the adjacent plate has a downwardmotion. Thus the sweetmeats finally reach the outer edge of the remotestslide-plate and slide down over the sloping edge 8 onto the steel band5, stopping against an angle iron 9. The sloping edges of the slideplates are so narrow that sweetmeats which land crosswise upon them, arenot taken along, but fall back into the hopper. The

device above described does not damage even the most delicatesweetmeats, in delivering them to the steel band. Power is transmittedto the shaft 6 by means of the chain sprocket 10 and the pulley 3receives its motion from the said shaft through a driving chain 13 andchain sprockets 11 and 12.

From the upper part of the bracket which supports the lifting mechanismand hopper extends a platform member 14, over which the steel band 5moves. This platform member is, on one side of the steel band,

furnished with an angle iron 9 and on the other side with a protectiveplate 15, which is partially bent over the said steel band. Theclearance between the steel band and the bent part of the plate is largeenough only for the passage of one row of, sweetmeats at a time. Theplate 15 does not cover the whole breadth of the path, but leaves anopening 16 free for inspection. The member 14; furthermore carries abracket 17 on which is mounted the pulley 4. The straight path of thetravelling row of sweetmeats comes to an end at a cross plate 18 andthere the said row of'sweetmeats comes to a standstill, the steel bandmoving on further around the pulley 4. A slide 20 (see Fig. 3) receivesa reciprocating motion from a crank disc 19', through a connecting rod22, and is also pivotally connected to a bell crank lever 23, with whichit therefore cooperates to push the sweetmeats into a chute 21, whichhas a suitable downward slope down which the sweetmeats glide into awrapping machine or the like.

. The drawing suggests a method for transporting the sweetmeats furtherby means of a wheel furnished with a pair of pins 29. The sweetmeatscome gliding down the chute 21 to a fixed steel plate 25 and stopagainst an angle plate 27 and an angle iron 26. The plate 27 is providedwith notches 31 through which the pins 29 can pass while the steel plateis narrow enough to clear the said pins 29.

The machine may in some cases be used without the slide (20) and lever(23) thus feeding the sweetmeats in a continuous row and various othermodifications in constructional details are likewise possible withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as n1y invention:

1. A transporting and feeding device comprising a hopper, a conveyoradjacent said hopper, a series of contiguous, vertically slidable platesdisposed between said hopper and conveyor, means for simultaneouslysliding adjacent plates in opposite directions, the upward limit of themovement of said plates being successively higher from the hopper to theconveyor, the plate nearest the conveyor being adapted to discharge onthe conveyor, said plates having inclined upper edges, whereby articlesmay be moved from the bottom of the hopper to the corn veyor.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, said upper inclined edges of theplates being narrower than the length of the objects to be carriedthereby, whereby said edges are adapted to retain the objects only inlongitudinal position.

3. A sweetmeat elevating device comprising in combination a hopper, aplurality of juxtaposed plates mounted for reciprocation therein, meansfor alternately reciproeating said plates whereby the sweetmeats withinsaid hopper will be elevated in a step by step fashion and a conveyorarranged adjacent one of said plates.

4. A dispensing device for hoppers com prising a plurality ofcoincidentally disposed slidable plates, means for transmitting motionto said plates whereby articles within said hopper will be transferredfrom one plate to the next adjacent plate and means cooperating with oneof said plates for receiving articles transferred thereto.

5. The combination with a support, a hopper mounted thereupon, aplurality of article elevating members extending within said hopper,means for transmitting motion to said elevating members whereby articleswithin said hopper may be elevated from one elevating member to the nextadjacent elevating member and one of said elevating members adapted tobe moved beyond said hopper for dispensing articles therefrom.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

KARL FRITTIOF KRONQVIST.

